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Tuesday, March 20, 2012

In which police were “forced” to shoot down a 6-month-old boxer puppy – and also killing a pregnant chihuahua in the process – when the latter “charged” at the officers:

The incident started about 5:30 p.m. Friday in North Redding when police were searching for 33 year old Danny Tompkins of Redding. He was a fugitive wanted on a $25,000 felony arrest warrant for probation violations.

Tompkins ran to the Motel 6 on Twinview Blvd and knocked on the door of Jennifer Obanion, who was staying at the motel with her fiance.

Police tell us Tompkins was in the room briefly and exited. As officers started to cuff him, Obanion's boxer puppy reportedly "charged" at both officers and Tompkins.

Officers tell us they fatally shot the boxer to prevent it from attacking officers. The pregnant chihuahua was caught in the line of fire and was also killed.

Another officer also explained why cops tend to reach for firepower rather than other, nonlethal methods of subduing supposedly threatening canines:

Corporal Shawn McGinnis tell us, "Officers are given lots of different tools at their disposal such as tasers, pepper mace, other types of less lethal weapons to use against dogs. However, when a dog is actively charging an officer, there's often very little time to get to those weapons and some of those weapons are very slow acting and they may not stop the attack like a firearm can."

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About Me

I’m a liberal skeptic, rationalist & third-wave atheist stuck in a rut in Québec, Canada and who spends his time composing, writing, drawing, harboring a layman’s passion for science and technology, getting angry at social injustices, and most of all, jabbing cretins and trolls with sharp pointy sticks. (Oh, and blogging.) Proud owner of a Nize Hat!, an indomitable SIWOTI syndrome and an itchy snark finger.

You can find all my musical, literary and artistic works at my art blog, Creativitas.